An optical device, for example, a camera device may be increasingly used in a portable or mobile electronic device, for example, a mobile telephone. As the size of a mobile electronic device becomes smaller, or the amount of available space for the camera becomes less, the camera should become smaller while also increasing functionality.
A typical optical device or camera for use in a mobile electronic device includes one or more lenses. Each of the lenses is generally mechanically adjusted to focus an image. One particularly advantageous approach to reducing the size of an optical device includes using a liquid crystal (LC) cell that operates as a variable focus lens. Rather than physically moving a lens element like traditional mechanical approaches to focusing a lens, in a liquid crystal cell a small control voltage is applied to dynamically change the refractive index of the material the light passes through. Such a liquid crystal cell is available from LensVector, Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif.
Connecting an LC cell within an optical device, for example, within a lens housing, may be performed using an electrically conductive adhesive. More particularly, one or more pairs of opposing electrically conductive contacts may be associated with the LC cell, and the electrically conductive adhesive is used to electrically couple the electrical contacts.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0221950 to Oostra et al. discloses a camera device. More particularly, Oostra et al. discloses an image capturing element or sensor and a lens over the image sensor. An electrically variable focus polymer-stabilized liquid crystal lens is also over the sensor element. Conductive glue is around the variable focus polymer-stabilized liquid crystal lens.